PRO FOOTBALL REPORT / WEEKDAY UPDATE : RAMS : Robinson Not Tied to L.A. Area

Ram Coach John Robinson, after receiving and giving assurances Friday that he will remain coach of the Rams into the future, said, despite reports to the contrary, he really wouldn’t have minded leaving Southern California if things hadn’t worked out with the Rams.

“I really like Southern California, and I like my home and my friends and all that, but that’s never the issue in any of our lives,” Robinson said. “It can never be. When you’re looking at what you do and how you do it and the opportunity that you get to do it, where that opportunity is is less important than the opportunity to do it. I don’t think I would ever make where I live the most important thing in my life . . . until I retire.

“I read that speculation. When I read that, I said that ain’t true about me.”

Saint linebacker Pat Swilling agrees that it will be strange to play on New Year’s Eve, as the Rams and Saints will Monday night, but that the players will have to adapt to it.

“Yeah, it does seem weird,” Swilling said. “When we first heard about the scheduling, we really didn’t like it that much. But there’s nothing you can do about that, just go out and play the game.”